


Some Days It Just Wasn't Worth Chewing Through The Restraints

by Andromedanewton



Series: Anita and Edward (my canon divergence) [10]
Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 02:22:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7739755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromedanewton/pseuds/Andromedanewton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anita needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.  Good luck with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Days It Just Wasn't Worth Chewing Through The Restraints

We took two cars; I just didn't feel comfortable with Olaf behind me, but that meant Bernardo was stuck with him, which he did complain about, just once, but it finally earned him a sneer from Olaf which shut him up.  
We travelled for hours until Edward finally stopped at a motel; not the cheapest but not the most upmarket ever, and he insisted on booking the rooms himself, taking me with him. He booked two, one with a king, one with twin queens; then bribed the desk clerk so if either of our companions came to see if there were extra rooms that they would be told no more vacancies. Edward wanted to make sure Bernardo had to watch over Olaf, whether he realised it or not. He also made sure there was a room between the two.  
'That was all they had?' Bernardo looked at the key in his hand in disappointment as Edward unlocked our door. Whether he was making some point I didn't understand or just wanted to run things from our room I wasn't sure but Bernardo's disappointment grew when he saw the large bed Edward and I were to share.  
'All they had. Like it or loathe it, I don't care.' Edward put his laptop bag on the table while I dumped one of the holdalls at the foot of the bed.  
'Can I interest you in an exchange?' Bernardo smiled at me, and as handsome as he was I was unaffected.  
'I don't know you well enough to bed down with you, pretty boy.' I shook my head. 'Besides, your boyfriend looks like the jealous type.'  
Me and my big mouth. Olaf barrelled into the room while my back was turned from where he had remained in the doorway. I had a second to sense his approach and I started to turn with my hand on my gun but I wouldn't be fast enough. Bernardo made a grab for him but it was Edward who hit me bodily as Olaf swung for me with a knife that would have been a sword in my hands. We hit the bottom corner of the bed and I felt Edward tense as we fell to the floor on the far side.  
'Don't fucking bait him!' Edward spat in my face before pushing himself up and I noticed he was favouring his left arm. He rolled over between my legs and kept himself between us. 'Her fault, Olaf, I'll give you it this time but no more bloodshed between the four of us!'  
As he said it I realised why he hadn't used his right arm. Olaf's knife had caught him across his upper right shoulder, a four inch slice through both his coat and shirt. 'Fuck.' I pulled on his coat, dropping it off his shoulder but he shrugged it back on.  
'It's fine. You need to watch your damn mouth.'  
I huffed out a breath, I wouldn't apologise, not in front of the others, and definitely not to Olaf. 'Got it.' I said simply, although I wasn't sure if I was actually capable of it.  
'Olaf, put up the knife before I confiscate it.' Olaf growled but did as he was asked and I got to my feet, Edward following a moment later, staying between me and the rest of the room. 'I need you both to fucking behave, you hear me?'  
'She has a mouth on her.' Olaf sneered. 'It needs silencing.'  
I opened my mouth to spit a reply but Edward beat me to it. 'Better than you have tried. Take a step back so we can come out and I'll rein in her leash.'  
I turned to him angrily. 'Excuse you, you'll what?'  
He faced me and the look was completely Edward. No other personality looked out through the ice blue eyes and the change was frightening, not that I would let him know that. 'You need me, Anita, not the other way around. You came to me for help. Don't forget that.'  
'I'm beginning to regret that.' I told him before hopping up on the bed, walking awkwardly across it, dropping down and out of the still open door. 

I walked, not far, but I needed some space. Away from Edward, Bernardo, psycho Olaf, even Theodore, if he was still here, and the whole damn thing. Right now Van Cleef could fucking take me, I wouldn't care. Okay, I would, but I would probably be in an equal amount of danger back at the room. I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, checking what cash I had and that my credit cards were still there; I wouldn't have put it past Edward to have taken them to ground me, but no, there they were, and I was tempted to get a cab to the nearest airport and take my chances. But I wouldn't. Of course I wouldn't. If it had just been a job with Edward I would have gone home, who the fuck am I kidding, I wouldn't even have done that. I just wasn't sure how to swallow my pride and go back. I was at fault this time, I just hated admitting when I was wrong and to apologise to Olaf would be a sign of weakness. He tried to spike my coffee, probably to see if he could, and I had pushed him without provocation by calling him up on his sexuality, admittedly more as a dig at Bernardo and his flirting, but still. My fault and I didn't like it. Good plan, Anita, let's antagonise the serial killer who already hated you. Some days it just wasn't worth chewing through the restraints.  
I needed to go back some time; Edward would only come after me because he was meant to be protecting me, and I didn't want Theodore chasing after me. No, I needed Edward now and we had already risked things by being pretty obvious in the junkyard, even if he was sure we weren't seen. No, I needed to pull on my big girl pants, suck it up, go back and stop being so fucking stupid.  
I stopped in at a diner and bought myself a take out coffee, planning on heading straight back, but when I came out Edward was leaning against one of the parked cars, new shirt and coat included.  
'You done sulking?' He gave me a raised eyebrow.  
'I think so.' I replied, the closest I was giving him to an apology.  
'Great.' He pushed away from the car and stood straight. 'Coffee here sucks but it's the best you'll get without heading into the town proper.'  
'Right now coffee is coffee.' I looked down at my cup then up at him...and paused. I didn't need to look as far up, and his eyes were cool blue, but not the coldest, not like Antarctic oceans. This wasn't Edward.


End file.
